#born to be a techie

[outoutdamnspark]

About ten years ago I was living in a completely different state, just off a highway, with no greenery and no break from the relentless sun-baked asphalt of an town with nothing to offer except consumerism. I was utterly miserable and slowly heading for rock bottom when I came back up to my home state for a friend's engagement party at one of the state parks, and I drove through a tree tunnel lined with the colors of autumn and October's long shadows.

I felt my lips part and whisper to my own ears, "oh. My soul is starving."

We moved back up home to a greener, less lonely place a year later, running from the eternally dirty, yellowed, sun-bleached highway town as fast as we possibly could.

Just last month, I was nearing my second year at a sales floor job, working too many hours for too little compensation and absolutely zero thanks. I hated waking up to my alarm, telling me it was time for another ten-hour shift at a place that blamed me for every cent not made, and customers that would come in simply to waste my time or phone-call-fires from other stores that needed to be put out.

An unstable man - clearly on drugs - came in once while I was by myself, trapping me behind the desk while he scratched the skin off his ankle and tried to take my phone, talking into the wall because, "they knew he was there and they were hiding from him."

The district manager told me I had to stay, and to "lock one of the doors if I felt unsafe". He never once asked me if I was okay, even after my spouse called the police for me when I couldn't find a way to safely do it myself.

They fired me a couple weeks after.

But...

Now...

There's something like coming home - something only found in the back of a theatre, a 'temporary' job at the place my dear friend works that needed extra help during their current musical. A college degree no longer sitting and rotting on the wall above my desk.

The smell of the costume shop. The creak of the wooden stage beneath my feet in the dark as we scramble from stage left to stage right with props in our hands. The sound of crackling voices in my ear, saying, "five to places" - "thank you, five". The hush in the green room as the actors take a breather between acts, sip their water, and thank their techies for making their lives easier.

One of them, in passing, as we leave to take our spots in the catwalk, high above the crowd, sweaty hands gripping the handles of the spotlights tight, calls to me - he doesn't even yet know my name, I'm so new while the other crew are so familiar to them.

"You light up my night!" he jokes.

Another, half in costume, doughnut in hand, tells me I'm doing great. He shows me the pokemon pins on his bag, asks me what my favorite typing is, gets excited when his and mine are the same.

The lead actress lets me pet her dog and 'awwwww!'s at the cute story I tell her of the little girl in the aisle off stage left waiting to meet the character she plays.

The lead techie has the same haircut I do. We talk in the parking lot for an hour after opening night. They went to the same college, recognize my major, tell me their work stories and ask for mine. They wait for me in their truck to make sure I get out of the parking lot safely after the lightboard operator sticks her head out the door and tells us to go home and rest before tomorrow's fourteen hour shift.

They add me to a group chat the next day, with themselves, the lightboard lady, and the other spotlight operator.

I go back to my apartment after midnight, clocked in at 10:30am and out at 12:15am, and - for the first time in years - I don't feel tired.

My soul was starving. But now I'm home.

[dameronspector]

Philophobia

(PART 1)

Pairing: Joaquin Torres x Stark!Reader

Summary: Devastated by your father’s death and cutting yourself off from everyone, you are on the road of recovery, accompanied by your uncle Rhodey. After Rhodey has finally convinced you, you agree to reunite with Sam Wilson and help him with his tech. He introduces you to another techie nerd, named Joaquin Torres, for the first time. Will you let your phobia get in the way and push away your new found family and this beautiful boy? Or will you get better and let yourself be loved once again?

Warnings: Mentions of Death and Depression/Depressive episodes, Mentions of Panic Attacks, Abuse by a parent (not Tony), Weight loss due to stress, Nightmares, Some cursing, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Steve Rogers Slander- please don’t read this if that’s not something you’re looking for, Reader is sassy and a bit reserved because of The incident and because they’re a Stark, Reader has some phobias, Found family, also there’s a few references and hidden plots in this. 😁 (please keep in mind that I wrote this from my point of view as a south asian.)

Author’s note: I probably went overboard and this is very long + very self indulgent….but tony stark is the father who raised me and joaquin torres is my boyfriend so i Had to do this. ☺️ also lots of found family content with Rhodey, Sam and Bucky. Set around the time of TFATWS. Please let me know if there’s any changes to be made if I have written anything wrong.

series masterlist

Moving back to New York was extremely hard and painful for you ever since your dad passed away. That was the city that you were born and raised in and it had the ghosts of your father’s and family’s moments everywhere. But you told Pepper that you couldn’t handle living in that cabin anymore because 1. you were going stir crazy since you loved the hustle bustle of a city and 2. the depressive episodes were more frequent than ever.

You’d think living in your family cabin that has your father’s memories written across every wall would help you…but you’re a Stark. Ignoring your own problems and running away from emotions is kind of your specialty. Hereditary, even.

Pepper, bless her heart, told you that she’s happy you are trying to get back your life back on track and that she would always be there for you. Even if you called her Pepper, she’s always been your Mother.

Hardest part of it all was saying goodbye to Morgan. Little Morgan who was so attached to you and vice versa. She was too young to even process her father’s death, how was she supposed to understand why her elder sibling was never leaving their room? And now that same sibling was going too far away from their house. It took Pepper, Happy and you to console Morgan and she was finally ready to send you off–only with a (pinky) promise of visiting her during holidays.

Rhodey and Happy helped you settle in your newest house- a penthouse in manhattan that your dad left behind for you. That was 3 months ago. Now, fully settled in your new space, you’ve decided to restart college to finish your degree that was put on pause because of a giant purple psycho. You had decided you will stop the whole Avenger shit the moment you lost your dad. You needed to leave that life behind in order to move on, and what better than being filthy educated and eventually finding a normal job?

Well, let’s just say it didn’t go as planned.

I mean, really, were you expecting to just magically heal from the most traumatic time of your life in three months, with no therapy or contact from your family and friends?

Panic attacks are like your best friends. The other day you had a panic attack because you found a scarf that was gifted to you by your dad. Embarrassing, really.

Nightmares are something you have been walking hand-in-hand with since your dad was kidnapped and you were just a little kid. But now, every night you close your eyes and you see your father’s lifeless eyes staring back into yours.So it’s not surprising that you have become insomniac as well.

Overall, you were continuing the Stark legacy of being severely mentally ill but not doing anything to help it or accepting any help. The only difference was that you chose NOT to drink until you blacked out because after watching your dad do that as a kid, you developed a strong distaste for any type of alcohol. It was so bad, that you got diagnosed with dispophobia– a persistent fear of drinking alcohol. It’s real, look it up.

You chose the other option—pushing everyone around you away until you wallowed in your misery, loneliness and sorrows.

This behaviour of yours was constantly stressing Pepper, Rhodey and Happy out. All three of them did their best to help you and make you socialise, but everytime they approached, you either ignored their calls and messages or told them you were busy (by busy you meant that you were tinkering on your father’s old suits that you moved to your apartment, but you didn’t tell them that.)

Even FRIDAY tried giving them updates on your well-being but you had threatened the AI to not “leak” any of your “information”. This was giving the three of them a major déjà vu. Eventually, they had enough and Rhodey came to your house one day because he knew he’s the only one who can call out your shit. He kinda had a Phd in tackling the Stark family’s issues.

“Look kid, it’s been 3 months. You haven’t bothered to call or text any of us. We didn’t even know if you were alive since you have banned FRIDAY from reporting anything to us as well. Can you please spend one evening with us for a dinner? Hell, if not all of us,then atleast meet up with Morgan?”, Rhodey said firmly with his eyebrows furrowed and arms folded tightly around his chest, leaning on your kitchen island.

You were making your dinner when he decided to come over. Trying your best to be nonchalant, you kept stirring the soup with your back to him, and scoffed, “You sound exactly like dad sometimes.”

Rhodey closed his eyes in frustration. “That’s not important right now. You’re doing the same thing that Tony did when he was feeling all these… emotions. Please, stop this kiddo. You’ve got all of us. Always. Just reach out once and we’ll be there to catch you”, he replied in a soft tone.

You took a deep breath and he saw your shoulders go up and down. You stopped stirring the soup, turned the gas off and turned around to face him.

You wrapped your arms around yourself, making yourself smaller, and intently focused on your shoes to avoid meeting his eyes.

“There’s nothing to ask. I’ve already told you I will be starting college soon. I’ll keep myself productive and occupied. It’ll be alright, don’t worry about me”, you say, your voice scratchy after not using it for a long time.

Rhodey observed you with his sharp gaze. You knew you were screwed the moment you saw Rhodey at the door because he could read you like a book. Honestly, it was extremely intimidating but you will never admit that to his face. He’s been around for your whole life- right from your birth. He knew you like you were his own child.

“FRIDAY, activate babysitter protocol”, he said, his voice stern.

You snapped your gaze up from your shoes to stare at him in confusion.

“On it Mr. Rhodes”, FRIDAY replied.

“What the hell is this?”, you replied narrowing your eyes at him.

“I know you blocked FRIDAY from telling us anything about you. Did you know Tony had an emergency protocol built in so that if there’s anything that went wrong while you were alone, FRIDAY would update him?”, Rhodey replied nonchalantly.

You widened your eyes and immediately teared up on hearing how protective your dad was over you. You were too tired to fight back so you just shut your eyes and wrapped your arms around your body tighter.

“FRIDAY, give me a proper run down of the kid’s activities and schedule in this past month. Including their health”, Rhodey asked the AI while observing you closely.

“OK sir. In this month, they have stepped out of the house only once for buying groceries. The rest of the month they’ve been at home, fixing Mr Stark’s suits”, FRIDAY finished.

At this, Rhodey’s eyes widened. “Tony’s suits? How did you even get these suits?” “They sneaked in the suits 2 months ago, Sir”, Rhodey’s eyes snapped back to yours. 2 months ago- right after you moved in. The suits were at the new compound and they were heavily guarded.

They should’ve known better because did they really expect you, a genius like your father, to not figure out how to hack the systems? It was a cakewalk for you.

You scrunched your eyes in shame and bowed your head. “Kid….”, he sighed.

“Tell me about their health, FRI”, Rhodey asked in a pained voice.

“They’ve had panic attacks almost every week. I suggested taking medication or visiting the therapist, but my requests were ignored. I’ve also observed a spike in their heartbeat everytime a loud noise is heard. They have nightmares regularly due to which they have stopped sleeping altogether. All the stress has made them lose weight, their appetite has lessened and has made them more irritable and unpredictable”, FRIDAY finished (snitched, you think).

Hearing it from someone else made it sound so much worse. You couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down your face.

You were too busy keeping the sobs from coming out of your mouth to notice Rhodey coming closer and wrapping his arms around you. He brought you closer and hugged you tightly and that completely broke you.

You leaned your head against his chest and wrapped your arms around his torso and just sobbed. Rhodey hushed you gently and rubbed your back softly with one of his hands.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t deal with this, Uncle. Please. I need him back”, you said in between sobs while clutching him tightly and pressing your face into his chest. Rhodey teared up at this and put one of his hands behind your head.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Let it out. I’m so sorry I didn’t visit you sooner. I know what you’re feeling. But I’ve got you now. Please allow me to help you?”, he said weakly.

You let out a shuddering breath and tried to calm yourself down. “Okay. ”, you replied in a weak voice. Rhodey broke the hug before putting his hands on your shoulders and let you wipe your tears. He caressed your head and told you, “We’re gonna get you something to eat first. From tomorrow, we will work on your routine and talk to your therapist about your insomnia and panic attacks. And then, you will be taking lots of rest. No more tinkering on the suits endlessly or skipping meals. We will go on walks and you will have a dinner with us at the cabin soon. That okay?”, he asked gently. You looked up at him and nodded your head yes. “Good. Now, you sit your ass down and Rest. Let me prepare your dinner”, he says while moving around you to get to the stove. “Do you even know how to turn on the stove?”, you say in a stuffy voice while wiping your nose with your sleeve and side eyeing him. He abruptly pauses and turns around. “You’re such a little shit, you know that?”, he says sassily while pointing a finger at you. That brings out a genuine smile from you and you just chuckle before he starts laughing as well. Your smile fades slowly. “Thank you. This means a lot to me,” you reply softly. Both of your eyes start tearing up and he just nods his head before giving you a side hug. “Anything for my favourite Stark”, he says in a shaky voice.

2 Months Later

You and Rhodey fell into a rhythm after that night. He stayed with you for some days and got you checked with your therapist and helped you around the house. He took you out for jogs every morning, made you work out and exercise every day. This made you feel productive and gave you a routine to follow. It also improved your appetite and you started to genuinely enjoy making healthy and filling meals.

You stopped unnecessarily tinkering on the suits and the medicines prescribed by your doctor helped you sleep better. You still had a long way to go but you had finally started stepping out of the house and went to a dinner at the cabin. Happy, Pepper and Morgan were so delighted to see you and they told you how proud they are of you. You just gave all the credit to your uncle Rhodey.

Rhodey had become a major figure in your life lately. He’d always been there for you and your dad but now he was like a teacher and mentor to you. All thanks to him, you could get your life back on track. And he was happy to help you anyways because you were like his own child.

But he’d started to take you to various social events lately and you HATED that. You were always a shy and socially anxious kid (a complete opposite of your father.) So the thought of attending social events where so many people and cameras were present…that was enough to send you into an early grave.

“Rhodey….for the last time. I’m not going with you. What am I even gonna do there? Sit and yawn while all you military and political people make speeches? No thanks”, you said breathlessly and jogged a little ahead of him.

He joined you immediately, huffing and puffing, “First of all.” Huff. “Slow DOWN. Jesus Christ.” Huff. And he stopped while putting his hands on his knees.

“Keep up, lazy! We gotta keep THE War Machine kicking and alive, come on!”, you say while jogging backwards and smiling at him.

When you saw that he was not going to join you, you stopped and jogged over to him. “Lazy, my ass. I’m 60 years old, you little shit”, he said while looking up at you, eyes narrowed and hands still on his knees. Still huffing and puffing.

You chuckled and helped him stand up with your arm around his back and another arm holding his. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You wanna sit down? Might as well drink some water, I’m thirsty.”

He nods his head yes and both of you sit down on a nearby bench and take a breather. You’re quiet for sometime, soaking in the crisp morning air and looking at the water fountain in front of you when Rhodey speaks up.

“I know you hate these events. But, please come to this one. We have a reunion in order, anyways”, he says cheekily while looking at you with that big smile of his plastered on his face.

You turned your head to look at him and raised your eyebrow, “Reunion? With whom?”, you ask skeptically. “Please don’t say Steve Rogers, Rhodey. I swear to god, I will never step foot in this city again”, you say, irritated.

He scoffed, “Nah, don’t worry. That’s never happening. It’s Sam. He’s been telling me that he wants to meet you.”

You observed his face for a second to see if he was being serious. “Sam? Sam Wilson? Why would he want to meet me?”, you asked, confused. Ever since the Sokovia Accords were brought into existence and ever since you sided with your father, Steve and the others didn’t want anything to do with your family. But you didn’t have anything against any of them— well, except for Steve. That was personal.

Even back then, you told your dad that you thought Bucky was innocent and that you want him to forgive Bucky somehow. You never met your grandparents so their accident/murder didn’t affect you. And you especially didn’t give a fuck about your deadbeat grandfather who would abuse your dad, but you felt your dad’s anger was justified as he loved his mom. You didn’t have an issue with Sam either. Not even when Rhodey met with that fatal accident that made him lose his legs. You saw the footage, and Rhodey told you as well, that Sam simply dodged. He didn’t cause the fall, nor did he injure him on purpose. The fall happened because his suit malfunctioned. But since Steve was the glue that was holding them together, they avoided talking to you at all. They were simply being loyal. And we all know how Steve Rogers thanked their loyalty in the end.

You would never forgive him for breaking your dysfunctional-found-family apart by being a selfish asshole and by abandoning your dad when he needed his support the most.

Rhodey shrugged. “Dunno. But he was looking forward to meeting you. He’s the kindest man I know, kid. And I know you don’t hold a grudge against him either. Please, come with me. I promise we will go get some ice cream later”, he said earnestly and smiled.

You let out a deep sigh. “Chocolate chips. Double scoop”, you said and lifted your water bottle to drink to avoid looking at his smug expression.

“Oh, you shall get anything you ask for, your highness”, he said while extravagantly bowing at you.

You just smirked and got back up to jog.

The constant clicking of the cameras was quickly causing a throbbing ache to appear behind your eyes. You were dressed in your formal clothes, presentable as always, and entered the museum arm-in-arm with Rhodey.

After giving a thousand repetitive interviews, half of which Rhodey denied on your behalf, you finally saw the man in question—Sam Wilson. Captain America.

Honestly, you were so proud of and excited for him to take up the mantle. It wasn’t a shock that Steve handed over that shield to Sam. He deserved it.

He saw the two of you and came over to talk. As he came closer, you saw just how shocked he was to see you there.

“Whats up, man? How are you?”, Sam said while shaking hands with Rhodey and bringing him in for a hug, all the while flashing his lovely, tooth-gaped smile.

Rhodey patted his back and broke away from the hug. “The usual. I got a surprise for you”, Rhodey said while putting an arm around your shoulder.

Sam, still surprised, flashed another one of his smiles at you.

“I just can’t believe you’re here. I hope you know how grateful I am”, he said earnestly while putting his hand out to shake yours.

You looked at his hand and shook it. “I’m surprised you wanted to meet me”, you say while smirking at him.

His smile faded after hearing that and he looked at you with a solemn expression.

“Yeah. I’m sorry it took me so long. I-” “Mr. Wilson, it’s your turn to speak.” Sam looked back at the woman and nodded his head at her.

“Uh…I’ll catch up with you after all this is done. Please wait until then?”, Sam turned around and asked you, nervously.

Rhodey looked at you to decipher your reaction. “Okay. I’ll wait. But not for long and not in front of these cameras”, you say coolly.

Sam smiles at you and Rhodey before approaching the stage.

“See? That wasn’t so bad”, Rhodey says while leading you to sit at the front row.

“We’ll see about that— not the front row, Rhodes... It’s like you want me to run away”, you groaned while slowing your pace.

Rhodey just laughs and pats your shoulder. “Come on, I’ll be next to you the whole time. You can even crush my hand if you want to.”

You and Rhodey sat down and watched Sam approach the stage.

Sam looked sharp in his well-fitted suit but something about his expression screamed anxiety.

He began his speech.

“Steve represented the best in all of us. Courageous, righteous, hopeful. And he mastered posing stoically”, everyone chuckled at that. You scoffed.

“The world has been forever changed. A few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away, sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. Ones suited for the times we're in. Symbols...are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning. And this thing...”, he chuckles before picking up the shield and continuing.

“I don't know if there's ever been a greater symbol. But it's more about the man who propped it up, and he's gone. So, today we honor Steve's legacy. But also, we look to the future. So, thank you, Captain America. But this belongs to you”, Sam concluded and handed over the shield to the museum security who then put encased it in a glass case. The camera flashes went off.

You couldn’t believe this was happening. You knew something was wrong the moment Sam stepped up on the stage. Your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

You furrowed your eyebrows and turned your head to look at Rhodey.

“Why did he give up the shield?”, you asked confused.

Rhodey solemnly smiled.

“Maybe try talking to Sam about this?”, he explained to you, gently.

You nodded your head in understanding.

Rhodey went over to talk to Sam while you checked out the other exhibits to give them a little privacy.

You ended up looking at Bucky’s exhibit.

They were displaying those clips of him in the 40s, smiling and free of all the pain, and they made your heart clench in sadness and guilt. He deserved better.

“Still can’t believe bionic staring machine was a heartbreaker back then”, you heard Sam’s voice behind you.

You looked at him and smirked.

“As if he’s not a heartbreaker anymore. Those baby blue’s? Could break a grandma’s heart too, which is funny because he would still be older than her”, you joked and looked back at the display.

Sam stood to your right with his hands in his pockets. He laughed at your joke and looked up at the TV displaying Steve and Bucky together.

He let out a sigh and brought his lips together in a thin line.

You looked over to him and studied his profile observed the way he carried tension in his shoulders.

“Penny for your thoughts?”, you asked him gently.

He shut his eyes and looked down, letting out another deep sigh.

“Kid…I’m sorry”, he said, his voice heavy with guilt.

You furrowed your brows.

“For what?”, you asked, genuinely confused.

Sam finally looked up at you with teary eyes. His brows scrunched together.

“Everything. The accords…Rhodey’s acci- injuries. For-for not making an attempt to maintain contact with you, for-”

“Hey. Don’t. I’m not angry about any of that. I never was. And I will never hold a grudge against anyone that wasn’t on my da- on our side”, you cut him off and explained to him firmly. “And if Rhodey isn’t upset about his accident, then who am I to question it? I know you didn’t dodge. It was an accident. I saw the footage way back then, Sam”, you laid your hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

He was overcome with emotion. He deflated as if years’ worth of weight on his shoulders had been lifted off of him. He simply nodded his head.

“If anything, I’m sorry. For everything you had to go through. I hope you’re doing better, now”, you continued.

Sam gave you a half smile.

“Yeah, I’m good. Helpin’ out my sister with the house and my nephews.”

You raised your eyebrows, surprised. You didn’t know he had a sister or nephews.

Sam chuckled. “Yeah…I got a younger sister and 2 nephews— AJ and Cass.”

You smiled. “I had no idea. I’m glad you guys can live together again”, you replied sincerely.

“Thank you, kid. I had no idea you’re so….nice”, he smirked.

You let out a loud laugh. Contrary to popular belief and rumours, you were a good and polite kid. Your dad, Pepper, Rhodey and Happy made sure of that. It was always funny to find out how people would judge you on the basis of your last name. But, it could also be because of your resting bitch face.

Both of you quieted down and looked at the display once again, when you decided to finally bring it up.

“Sam, why’d you give up the shield?”, you asked curiously.

He pursed his lips.

“That shield is heavy. And I don’t know if this country is ready to see a man like me bear the weight of it. No matter how many times everyone keeps telling me that it was Steve’s choice, they don’t know the consequences of me being Captain America until they wear my shoes. Steve didn’t know it either because at the end of the day, our skin colour doesn’t match and that isn’t suitable for the shield”, he replied heavily.

It felt like someone had put cold water on top of you, his words cutting straight through your ignorance. The pressure that Sam was undergoing would never be understood by anyone who didn’t look like him. That’s why Rhodey was so understanding of his decision.

You straightened up.

“Oh. Sam, I’m so sorry. I didn’t-”, you paused to gather your thoughts and word them carefully. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I should’ve known better. I understand. And I respect your decision”, you replied, genuine understanding dripping from your words.

Sam looked at you, surprised. He wasn’t expecting you to understand his situation.

“That’s- it’s..alright kid. Thank you for understanding me. It means a lot”, he replied sincerely and patted your shoulder.

You were about to take his leave when he spoke up.

“Listen, I got a proposal for you.”

You quirked an eyebrow.

“Just…hear me out, okay? Rhodey told me to keep an eye out for you whenever he’s busy. Says you do well with discipline in your routine. If you don’t mind, you could join me and help me out with the tech stuff, you know?”, he said hesitantly.

You were about to deny his offer when he put his hands out in a placating gesture.

“I know, it’s been a long time. You’re not interested in this stuff anymore. But I could use some extra hands and who better than a Stark to help out with technology, right? And, who knows, maybe you’ll make a friend”, he tried to convince you.

“A friend? You think I’m some loner or what, Wilson? (You kind of were, a loner, but we will ignore that.) And just who is this friend?”, you asked him with narrowed eyes.

“He’s my new team member. A tech savvy nerd, like you. You’ll get along, trust me. Except I’ll warn you, that boy yaps a Lot”, Sam replied while chuckling.

That sounded way too familiar to you. You immediately froze and just stared at Sam, lost in thought. All those unwanted and painful memories were coming back to you.

Sam put his hand on your shoulder and you snapped out of your stupor.

“You don’t have to answer me immediately. Take your time, the offer is always open for you. Okay?”, he asked hopefully, ever the optimistic counselor.

You let out a big sigh.

“I don’t know. I’ll see”, you murmured. You could feel that uneasy feeling creep up your veins that told you to shut down, keep everyone away and to run somewhere far away where you could be isolated in peace.

You were finally feeling comfortable in your little bubble that consisted of you, Rhodey, Pepper, Happy and Morgan. Now you had to go out and make yourself accommodating and welcoming again. You had to repeat everything and start from scratch. It was a lot. You were not ready for that.

Healing is never linear, you knew that. But you were doing so well for the past two months. You clenched your fists and begged your mind to keep it together. You were pretty good at masking it.

Sam just nodded his head and patted your arm.

“Come on, I’ll walk you and Rhodey off.”

You both returned to Rhodey and said your goodbyes.

“See ya, old man. Take care of yo’self, alright?”, Sam said while hugging Rhodey.

“You too, Wilson”, Rhodey said before breaking the hug and patting Sam’s back.

“I’m proud of you, Sam. Never forget that”, Rhodey said gently.

Sam just smiled weakly and patted Rhodey’s shoulder before turning to look at you.

You looked at him and gave him a barely there smile before surprising him with a hug. You don’t know what came over you but you just wanted him to know that you appreciated his support and the conversation that you two had back there. Your words failed you, so you did the next best thing you knew– a hug.

He looked at Rhodey over your shoulder and patted your back like an older brother.

“Take care, kid. Think about what I said”, he said after breaking off the hug.

You simply nodded your head yes.

“And both of you are invited to the family cookout, alright? Rhodes, make sure you bring them with you. Sarah makes a mean cornbread”, Sam says while pointing at you.

Rhodey chuckles and you grin before departing.

You sat in the car and looked out of the window, deep in thought. You were processing your conversation with Sam and debating whether you should join him, or not. You couldn’t help but keep thinking about this friend that he mentioned and how he reminded you too much of-

“Whatcha thinkin’?”, Rhodey asked lightly, as if to not startle you.

You glanced back at him and turned your attention to the front of the car. You sighed softly.

“Had a good chat with Sam. We apologised to each other and sorted out our misconceptions.”

“That’s good, right?”, Rhodey asked and tilted his head to look at you.

You nodded. “Yeah. It was really nice to clear all of that up. He’s so…lovely to talk to. We also talked about his decision to give up the shield. I felt so stupid when he explained it to me. How could I not understand that beforehand?”, you said while clenching your jaw, feeling guilty for judging his decision.

Rhodey gave you a soft smile.

“Atleast you’re self-aware, sweetheart”, he said lightly.

You finally gave him a smile.

“Yeah. He also gave me an offer. To join him”, you said hesitantly.

Rhodey smirked knowingly. Sam had already discussed this with him.

“And? What’re you thinking?”, Rhodey asked nonchalantly so as to not freak you out.

You let out a deep breath.

“I don’t know. I’ll think over it”, you replied with finality in your tone.

Rhodey felt the walls build up again so he backed off instead of pestering you to talk more.

“That’s okay. You can take all the time you want, kid. There’s no rush”, Rhodey said sincerely.

You looked at him and squeezed his hand.

“Shall we go get that ice-cream now, your highness?”, Rhodey joked.

You finally let out a chuckle and nodded your head yes before turning your attention back towards the window. You let out a sigh.

You were not going to get any sleep tonight.

Part 2

—————————————————————————

AN: Whew. This was so LONG, I’m so sorry. 😭🙏 but I just couldn’t stop writing because I love me a stark!reader as that’s literally me but also I needed some found family content + closure between the stark family and the cap fam, too. Which is why I had to break it in 2 parts. Our lovebirds will meet in the 2nd part. Keep guessing the references and this mystery person until then.😛 thank you for reading!

[helenvaughans]

not to continually post about politics but i think the thing that pisses me off the most about trump 2.0 is fucking elon musk. like i hate trump as much as the next person but he's somewhat predictable in his evil stupidity and, for better or for worse, the citizens of the united states of america did in fact elect him to be president. he's also honestly only as effective as the people around him since he has the brain of a nasty child and will wholeheartedly believe whatever the last person who spoke to him said.

elon musk, however, is literally the DEFINITION of an unelected bureaucrat. this fucker made most of his criminally large fortune on federal subsidies for his bullshit techy fantasies that never came to fruition and now, since the us constitution literally bars him from ever running for president since he was not born on us soil, he bought off trump and thus has been given carte blanche to do whatever tf he wants, even attempting to access unbelievably sensitive data like every us citizen's SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER for whatever fucked up purpose he has. like the right can bitch and moan about george soros and bill gates or whatever but i would bet the farm that NEITHER OF THEM as private citizens have ever attempted to access that sort of highly sensitive data or do frankly even half of what musk is trying to do now. that man is a fucking parasite on both the federal government and american civil society and now he's trying to influence politics in OTHER countries where he isn't even a citizen! like i think i loathe him more than any other maga dipshit (besides maybe peter thiel)!!!!

[turbulentscrawl]

Modern AU: Norton Campbell

You've heard of modern reader? Well now it's time for Modern canon!

- Previously, he worked in the oil industry, but a nasty accident he doesn’t speak about has left him with his fair share of burn scars. Norton now works as an independent contractor, known around town as a do-it-all type of handyman. He rarely works with or for group projects, preferring to be hired directly by property owners for the work they need done. He’s his own boss, and he makes his own schedule, but he’s a workaholic.

- He was raised by his uncle Benny after his parents died when he was still very young—his mother shortly after childbirth, due to complications, and his father in a work-related accident. Benny’s health deteriorated fast, though, and as soon as he was legally able Norton picked up a part-time job to help pay the bills and build a college fund. (Or several, more like, and he was known to bounce around for better pay.)

-Some time in his senior year of high school, he discovered that Benny was keeping secrets; Benny had not only convinced his father to stay in the oil industry after he was born, but wasted and gambled away all the life insurance money from his death. Enraged and betrayed, Norton dropped out of school and left. He drove as far away as he could with the little money he had, and then lived out of his truck for a while. Eventually, he made enough money to rent a shitty little motel room by the week, and then a shitty little apartment.

-After leaving, he at first went into the oil industry like his old man and Benny had been—it was something he was familiar enough with and hard labor paid better than being a busboy again. But after a few years there was an accident which left him with several burn scars. He was left in pain for a long time, but the worker’s comp paid for most of his medical bills and his rent, giving him just enough time to get his GED. After that, he started into construction, plumbing, and other handiman things he was knowledgeable in after years of being poor and self-sufficient.

-The accident, this time, was more of an ACTUAL accident. Norton had a disagreement with some of the coworkers he hated. There was an altercation, and something ignited…and Norton was the only one who got out. He doesn’t talk about it, mostly out of shame and a sense of guilt, but he copes by telling himself they deserved it.

- He drives the same beat-up old pickup truck Benny bought for him as a kid. It was transferred into his name when he was 18, so Benny can’t swipe it from under his nose. (Legally, anyway.) He could probably get a loan and buy a new car, but at this point he prefers to keep the old hunk of junk. Maybe he’s sentimental, or maybe the weekly maintenance he has to do on it is just therapeutic in a way.

-Not a super techy guy. He keeps up with industry news and learns new skills often, but his truck, his phone, and most of his home appliances are older. He’s good enough with fixing things that he hasn’t bothered to replace them.

-He’s not much of a decorator, either, but he’s good at thrifting and building his own furniture with recycled materials. His apartment/home is a bit of a hodgepodge, with mostly bare walls, but what he does have I impressive in its own way. Any décor he has is likely gifted.

-He’d like to own a home one day, but he’s playing things by ear. He realizes that might be asking a lot while he’s got no real support system.

-He’s a fair cook, but a lot of what he makes could be called “struggle meals.” They’re what he’s been used to for a long time.

-He’s a little paranoid about pumping gas into his truck, but he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. On his days off, he tends to walk to take public transit to save some money and gas mileage.

-He’s that guy with a 7-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, bodywash etc men’s soap. Someone please teach him better ways.

[jayvikstolemyheart]

Weird thought: DC AU where Viktor is the Kryptonian Superman… but he’s still disabled. He’s super strong but he needs a cane and he keeps breaking them cuz of said super strength.

The idea came from looking at Superbat stuff and then thinking “Personality-wise Jayce would make a good Superman and Viktor would make a good Batman… but how do you handle the matter of Viktor’s disability?”

So I decided Viktor needs superpowers

Viktor was the first natural-born baby on Krypton in centuries, but because of that he was born with a disability. His parents loved him, but it did not help the situation. Not that that lasted long since Krypton was quickly destroyed and Viktor was sent off in a baby spaceship.

He was found and adopted by Czech-immigrant farmers who always wanted a baby but weren’t in the financial position to do so until it was too late.

It was clear that Viktor had difficulties moving but they were limited in what they could do for him since 1. A doctor/hospital could quickly figure out that Viktor isn’t human, & 2. Viktor is invulnerable so surgeries and needles weren’t an option anyway. The parents researched what they could to make canes and help Viktor, but yeah.

Viktor had a hard time growing up, being a disabled kid with nerdy interests who was the adopted child of immigrants. He was often frustrated by his parents’ orders to avoid using his powers. But it also grew an affinity with the other kids who were lower in the social caste. And the disabled people he met who didn’t have the satisfying knowledge that they were secretly all powerful like Viktor.

Childhood was far from perfect, but it instilled Viktor with the dream of helping people like himself. To bring a positive change to the world. That partnered with his intelligence caused his parents to put all they had into getting Viktor to the ‘big city’ to a good Uni so Viktor could work to his goals despite the risks.

He’s in a new place where he can hear lots of people in danger. Viktor knows it will take years to achieve systemic changes. He could help people now with his powers. Plus, he’s an adult now, in a big city where it would be hard to narrow down the identity of a mysterious new superhero.

Viktor’s version of Superman would always fly/hover over the ground so as not to put pressure on his bad leg. He keeps all his mobility aids at home. Partly for identity reasons, but also probably internalised ableism with wanting the hero to be an “ideal”. He targets low income areas and disabled people as those he protects the most, but he’ll still help most of the city.

(Maybe a news article calls him “The Herald of Justice” and people shorten that to the ‘the herald’ and it sticks) (but then the Superman aesthetic might be diminished so I’m not sold on it)

As for Jayce, he’s probably not Bruce Wayne rich but wealthy/techy enough that he can create his Batman-esque suit with utility belt and all the gadgets. His family used to be higher class but have fallen down about so he still gets invited to socialite events but mostly out of obligation. He’s gotten a bit more popularity thanks to his good looks but he’s mostly seen as a pretty face that whose family will be caste out of high society within the next generation unless he gets some success.

Because of this, his secret identity is hidden by the fact that he’s considered pretty face from a no-name family, not special enough to be something like Gotham’s knight, the (Batman-equivalent I’m worried I changed too much.)

Jayce stays quiet with the costume on, to avoid anyone recognising his voice. The result of this is that everyone thinks he’s this grimdark serious hero and is able to strike fear into criminals’ hearts. All the mysterious gadgets and booby traps help as well.

I think the two would greatly admired each other’s hero identities. And when they inevitably meet would be very surprised by the other’s true personality. They basically have the opposite attitude that their superhero alter ego presents.

It kind of goes from ‘from-hero worship/admiration-to-disappointment-to-reluctant work partners-to-newfound respect (after realising the true heroic qualities in the other)-to-friends-to-pining/yearning/lovers????

I’m not entirely sure about their civilian identities yet so I’m not sure how those versions would interact but I think Viktor would be scared to reveal his identity cuz it means revealing his disability which would go against the hero identity he’s created (at least in Viktor’s eyes)

Jayce would never think less of Viktor! But he might wonder if Viktor isn’t that serious about Jayce since the other man won’t reveal his identity. Or maybe Jayce worries that he’d disappoint Viktor with his “upper-class, dumb puppy” reputation.

So angst, miscommunication, secret identity stuff, yearning, admiration, etc. ensues!

[lydialeereborn]

Cyberpunk AU Ninjago. Cuz I miss the Night City.

The one on the top right is my character, Lynn, in Cyberpunk RED. I just wanna draw them. :p

They all live in the Night City cuz it's Cyberpunk au. They're here for many different reasons, but they all try to stay alive and make a living in the Night City. But I haven't decided when.

Here's the settings and stories I came up with so far👇👇Including some characters not on the picture. (Lloyd, Morro, new generations

Kai is a rockerboy, born in the Night City. His parents went missing because of the corps, so he hates them. He use his rebellious rock music to speak out for it. Also, enjoy the feeling of being crowded by fans. He has a rock band, but I have no idea about the members. Though it's not really popular, he still spend a lot of time and effort on it. Nya is a medtech/ripperdoc. She doesn't want her brother gets too much hurt because of fighting with the corps. So she decided to support him as much as she could. She runs a shop that supplies many kinds of implants. It's from her family, and it's called "The Smith". Of course, she saves the best for her friends and family. Jay is a techie. He was a nomad. He came to live in the Night City cuz wants to live a better life. Kai and Nya are his neibors, and he became friends with them because he got the same interest with Nya. He hasn't seen his parents in person for a long time. He calls them sometimes and sends some of his earnings. He was a nomad. He used to make stuff from what he found in the scrap yard with his parents. That's how he trained his skills as a techie. Memory-lost Jay could be a corpo, and then a solo after he escaped from getting excecuted by the corps. Cole is a nomad. He was a son of a rich guy in the Night City, but he doesn't want his life being controlled by the others. After seeing what is happening to the ppl in the Night City. He ran away and became a nomad. Because of where he came from. It took him a lot of time to gain the trust from a small part of nomads. He now has a family and he values them a lot. Cuz to him, they are the first to embrace who he really is. I think he'll be like River in 2077. A tough guy while working, and a soft daddy while with family. Z.A.N.E. is a powerful AI. According to the recent romours from the netrunners, he's created by a genius programmer.

The story is that, Jay wanted to buy something to confess his feeling to Nya, so he looked for a task that can earn him tons of money. He met Cole, a nomad, from a fixer. And their job is to secretly send a chip to corpo. But they found out the chip they're holding contained a poweful AI called Z.A.N.E. When Kai knew that, he wanted to stop them. Because he knew what those corpos would do with that powerful thing. Cole also knew that, but he needed that money for his family. Aaaaand that's how far I came up. :p

As for Lloyd, I still don't have a clear idea about him. Maybe he's a son of a corp's CEO. But he sneaked out, and saw what is really happening in the Night City. Morro is probably a netrunner or a solo. Kinda like ALT. He was a human, but got caught by the corps, and became a testment for something like Soulkiller. His body was destroyed and his conciusness was copied as an AI. After he escaped, he became a ghost on the internet, waiting to get revenge to the one that got him like this.

And the new generation, I also have some idea, but not really clear. Sora is probably a netrunner of a corps, after she escaped she became a techie cuz she's afraid she'll be found if she's on the internet. Wyldfyre is maybe a nomad? Arin is too nice to be in this AU. Maybe he's just a boy that sells pie in the market. His parents went missing but he has no idea where they are. Sora came to him so now they live together. And because of Sora, he got into the conflict between her and the corps. Probably the nicest boy you'll see in the Night City.

[ivynajspyder]

TECHNICAL SUPPORT JOINS THE TOURNAMENT @kirbyoctournament (just a little late haha)

Go to her blog here for lore and silly comics or send her asks!

NEW REF:

Name: Technical Support, but prefers to go by Techie

Bio: The younger sister of Holy Nightmare's Customer Service. Unlike her polite and smooth-talking brother, she can be rather rude and abrasive. She hates dealing with customers and blames them for breaking things. She tends to slack at her job and prefers doing her own tinkering and coding on the side.

She likes to tease her brother and cause problems for him. Really she likes to cause problems for anyone if it seems fun, but if you can appreciate a bit of chaos she's easy to get along with.

Background: She and CS are actually Nightmare's "children", and not just regular demon beasts he created. Why and how they were born is a mystery to most, including themselves, but Dr. Yeva was involved.

Abilities: She has the power to enter people's dreams, but not change them. She can give the dreamer the ability to lucid dream.

Likes: Video games, cute things, sweets, parties

Dislikes: Working, following rules, clowns

Other refs: (they're a bit older but still good. Mostly only her glasses design has changed)

(So there are technically two versions of this character. The other one belongs in the 'verse created by ShadowWolf many years ago, but they seem to have moved on to greener fandoms so I made a different thing for myself. Her origins are a bit different there and she goes by Rin)

[rhonuscorner]

Ahh another awesome chapter of dark matter!! I absolutely loved it😄

When Sun was talking about eating that rare fruit growing up, I was wondering what their childhood was like? Like what kinds of things did they and eclipse like to do as kids, when they weren’t busy learning lol

Thank yooouuuu, so happy you liked the chapter! Hope it was worth the long wait lol.

So Eclipse's childhood was different compared to Sun and Moon. Not only is he like 10 years older than Sun (and Moon is even younger), he unfortunately wasn't allowed as much free time as them growing up because of him being picked as their future leader from the moment he was born.

So a lot of his time from a young age forward was spent with tutors, studying and learning anything and everything from combat and warfare, diplomacy, space navigation, also attending lots of meetings to gain experience etc etc etc.

Still, that doesn't mean he didn't get to spent time with his siblings but it was more limited than he would've liked.

Sun and Moon had a more relaxed time growing up, without as much pressure placed upon their shoulders, though they were still given a very good education. They were still expected to support their brother so choices were made for them in regards to their profession, based on what they excelled at - techy stuff for Sun, he's an engineer (which luckily for him is something he greatly enjoys) and Moon became an tactician with an expertise in security and defense - definitely not his own choice, his interests lay elsewhere.

But yeah they had more free time growing up and always spent it together. Eclipse joined them when he could (and sometimes snuck away from his teachers to steal time with his siblings lol). A favorite past time for all three was swimming, going out into the woods and attending the many feasts and festivals nebuterrans are so fond of but really, just getting to spent time together was the most important thing, away from the prying eyes of their teachers and advisors.

All in all, neither of them had unhappy childhoods but at the same time - and this goes for Eclipse in particular - there were times they wished things could've been different.

[howlingday]

jaune is spiderman au) in which jaune is everyone's favorite webslinger, going by the name Huntsman (after the huntsman spider) downside he lacks the tech other spidermen have, upside he's already got tons of superstength and durability before he unlocks his aura! however his story is a little different than most spidermen, since everyone around him is a bad ass his grandpa (who's this story's uncle ben) doesn't die. instead when a white fang operative tries to rob him grandpa arc draws a revolver shoots his enemy dead and holsters without breaking stride. people at the scene describe him saying to himself "it's a hell of a thing killing a man" while walking away. take us through the life of a spiderman that the universe doesn't hate

A universe that DOESN'T hate Spider-Man? Oof... Tall order there, friend. But, sure, I'll see what I can do. Before we begin, might I regale you with my research? If not, skip to the read more. When I was playing Shattered Dimension for the PlayStation, there was a bumper in the loading screen explaining that there was a Parker of York Spider-Man who was a knight cursed with the blessings of a spider. I thought to look into this for inspiration, but I came up with bupkis on that. Instead, I found three different inspirations that used the name of Spider Knight. The first is Spyder-Knight from Disney's Ultimate Spider-Man. Not really anything too interesting. Just a knight in Spider-Man armor. Then there's the Prince of Arachne, who was a Peter Parker who worked for the noble Osborn family. He left after Princess Gwendolyn died in his place when Norman Osborn tried to kill him with a chandelier. Peter became knight and served as the Prince of the kingdom, sadly leaving a heartbroken Mary Jane to weep for his return. Then there's the SpiderKnight, who is a fusion of Spider-Man and Moon Knight, which is Peter Parker with D.I.D., including him, the witty voice of The Spider, the serious voice of The Knight, the confident voice of The CEO, and the techy voice of The Science. And then there's SpideyMoon, which... is a thing, apparently? A CANON THING, TOO! Like, apparently, they dated, but it's never brought up again after one mention in one panel? Actually, now that I think about it, I think that was just a joke Spider-Man made. But, yeah, that's what I found. Anyway, here's your Huntsman Spider AU~!

--------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1 - Somethin' Sensational~!

There is an old saying, often told to those who begin questioning their lot in life...

"There are those who are born great. There are those who achieve greatness. And there are those who have greatness thrust upon them."

For one such young man, named Jaune Arc, he wasn't quite sure where he fit into these categories. One could argue he was born great as his ancestors were all heroes and imbued upon him the genetics of a great warrior. However, it could also be argued that greatness was thrust upon him when he awoke one morning with unusual abilities that allowed him to sense danger and climb up walls.

The third category, however, Jaune was certain he wouldn't fit into. His chances of "achieving greatness" were slim to none. Even if he'd somehow managed to stumble his way into Beacon Academy, a school for Huntsmen and Huntresses from all over Remnant, he still a poor fit as both a leader and a hero.

That said, he still did what he could to help out anyone he could. Like his grandfather taught him. "If you can do it, then just do it." His work schedule as a midnight superhero was a bit of a mess, but it's not like he could just stand by and do nothing. Especially not when his world was tearing itself apart.

"I'm screwed..." Jaune groaned into his textbook.

"Is that so?" Ren, his roommate, asked as he read from his own book.

"Doctor Oobleck is going to eat me alive tomorrow. I've been so busy dealing with the Torchwick gang that I wasn't paying attention to anything he's said this past week."

"You could always ask for a remedial class." Ren turned the page.

"And when would I have time for that? When you've already graduated while I'm still trying to figure out what color underwear Gura Belladonna wore when the White Fang disbanded?"

"Ghira Belladonna." Ren corrected. "And you don't have to worry about the underwear color. Just the cloak color. Which was..."

"Red?"

"No."

"White?"

"No."

"Green?"

"No."

"I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"Yes."

As Jaune slammed his face into his book again, he scroll suddenly buzzed. It was an emergency alert from the school...

"All students are required to remain away from Vale downtown due to a robbery in progress."

"Ren?" Jaune shut his textbook and ran to the closet. He snagged his backpack, complete with his superhero suit, and ran for the window.

"I'll tell any girls asking about you that you just missed them." Not looking up from his own studying. Jaune's leaving had become something of a routine at this point.

"Yeah, right." Jaune opened the window. "Like any girl would ever ask about me." Leaping out, he ran up the wall to the roof. Easier to change from there.

"3... 2..." A knock came from the door. Ren stood and opened it, finding his best friend and her roommate standing with their own textbooks. "Hello, girls."

"Hi, Ren~!" Nora cheerfully greeted.

"Hello, Ren," Pyrrha also greeted, albeit more demurely, "is Jaune here?"

"You just missed him." Ren said with a smirk.

--------------------------------------------------

"There's trouble downtown."

"Mhm."

"Do you think it's the White Fang?"

"Could be."

"This used to be such a nice city."

"Mhm."

"If only the police would do their jobs."

"..."

--------------------------------------------------

Jaune made his way from the school to downtown as fast as his legs could carry him. It was times like these, which happened every time there was a crime to be stopped, that he wished he'd brought his bike with him to Beacon. At the time, he didn't think he'd leave the academy very often, and even now he argued that it would only make it more obvious who this masked vigilante stepping in to stop crimes that huntsmen were either too busy, or too corrupt, to stop was.

Thankfully, he'd developed a routine by now and figured out the fastest way to downtown was by train. He didn't have a ticket, so he'd have to hitch a ride. Last time he tried to jump on it while the train was still in the station, the conductor's refused to move until he jumped off. For some reason, people didn't trust masked vigilantes when they said, "I'm trying to stop a crime from happening!"

Jaune was now downtown-bound with his eyes on The Gilded Crown, the biggest bank in Vale. Keeping low to the roof he quietly prayed that whoever was tough enough to make such an attempt was also nice enough to give up without a fight. Sadly, they were more the former and less the latter.

The train began to slow and Jaune leapt off the train and made a running start for the building closest to the station; the Vale CCTV News station where Lisa Lavender gave her unbiased view on him. And when Jaune says unbiased, he means that he doesn't like what she says but replies, "to be fair to her", to each of her arguments. After all, The Huntsman Spider is, was, and, for the foreseeable future, will always be a vigilante, not a huntsman or a police officer who work by codes, regulations, rules, laws, and everything else that stops a person from doing the right thing.

An extensive and drawn-out hop, skip, and a jump later, Jaune was watching the scene play out. Police, huntsmen, and huntresses were engaged in a firefight with bank robbers wearing black fedoras, black suits, red ties and red glasses. The Torchwick Gang. Jaune was weighing his options when he spotted someone breaking into the side of the building, through a top floor window.

"Hm," Jaune hummed, "either this vigilante thing is catching on, or there's something else going on here." Looking down to the brave boys and girls in blue and green, he decided they had enough on their plate without him 'getting in their way', as they like to say. "Think it's time I give them a break."

--------------------------------------------------

"So, Ren~?" Nora leaned in, cooing with a sweetness in her voice. "Any idea when Jaune will be back~?"

"I don't think he'll be back until late." Ren answered, not looking up from his textbook.

"Seriously?" Nora gave a long sigh and fell back onto his bed. "Isn't he failing history?"

"He's been studying. I'm sure he'll be fine on tomorrow's exam."

"Well, that may be so," Nora jumped from her back to her knees, "but there's a lot more important things to worry about than studying!" She glanced over to Pyrrha. "Like maybe getting closer to your friends~?" She waggled her brows.

"Nora..." Pyrrha gave a small pout. It was true she held an affection for Jaune, but it wasn't something she needed to focus on. She was attending Beacon to become a huntress, not to find a boyfriend. Getting a date for the weekend wasn't important right now, even if it's something she really wanted.

"Jaune and I are plenty close, Nora." Ren replied, not looking up from his book.

The two girls shared a look.

--------------------------------------------------

The inside of the bank was dark. Torchwick's gang must have shut off the power to make this heist a little easier for them. Jaune looked down from the rafters above as the black-cloaked goons of Vale's most dangerous criminal continued to unload bullet after bullet against the "protectors of the innocent".

Jaune understood it was a hard job to be a police officer and a huntsman. That's what his grandpa used to do, after all. However, according to the man himself, things have gotten way to lax and hard in the wrong places. When he threatened to go to the council, couple of dirty cops pinned Jaune's grandpa with a crime he didn't commit. No charges were pressed, but he was stripped of his badge and had his good name muddied.

From what Jaune had seen, this wasn't the case for all of the police, but still too many to just blindly trust all of them with everything. So he decided to let things play out down below while chasing the shadowy figure moving ahead of him. He kept his distance, following the obvious trail they left. Open doors and open windows practically screamed-

"This way!' Jaune looked down and watched as the goons started running deeper into the bank. Huntsmen and police wouldn't be too far behind. Jaune had to work fast.

Jaune's head throbbed, and his back slammed against the wall by a doorway on instinct. Bullets sprayed from the other side, meaning stealth was no longer an option. Holding up his arms, keeping his target in view, he charged forward as bullets ricocheted off his armor plating. When he got close enough, he ducked low and pushed himself forward into the figure.

That didn't work, though, and he what he jumped into fell away like solid smoke. His head throbbed and he rolled away as soon as he hit the ground, narrowly avoiding the swipe of a blade. As his rolling came to a stop, he watched the figure flee around a corner, beginning the chase again. He was about to indulge when he heard shouting from the other direction.

Following this noise, he found another large room, though this one wasn't riddled with bullets like before. Instead, there a group of hostages, all tied up and gagged, with the largest of them being yanked to his feet by Torchwick's thugs. Jaune could play cat and mouse with his lead, but not when there was somebody in trouble. Jumping down from the second floor, he landed on the balls of his feet and hopped forward. The gang members gave shouts as they aimed their weapons at him. He ran to the side, keeping clear of the hostages, and chased after the running gang members.

They dragged the large hostage down the corridor leading to the back exit. Jaune barreled through and knocked aside any criminal that got in his way. When they got up to try and chase down their assailant, they were captured by the pursuing huntsmen. Jaune made it to the back alley where the hostage was being shoved into a long car. Jaune made for a running jump and landed just as the car was peeling out.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jaune shouted as the car swerved around, trying to shake him off. For better or worse, Jaune wasn't flying off with his hands sticking to the roof of the car. His head throbbed and he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a blade stabbing through the roof. His head throbbed again, instigating him to roll aside once more. By the time the third stab came, he rolled himself into position over the window. Giving a little hop, he smashed through the window, and everything started to slow down around Jaune.

The guy with the blade, shocked at the sudden intrusion, fumbled with his weapon before trying to stab Jaune with it. The thrust was avoided as Jaune slid into the vehicle with both hands now removed from the roof. Curling into himself, Jaune punched one goon while grabbing hold of the blade from the not sharp side. He then kicked the blade goon as Jaune tugged on the blade. One goon pulled his gun on Jaune, but the hostage jumped into him, giving Jaune the chance to avoid being shot and knocking the goon out.

"You okay?" Jaune asked, untying the hostage. "You usually hear about these kinds of things happening on trains."

"Aside from the glass in my suit," the man grumbled, scowling at Jaune as he removed the gag from his mouth, "I'll live." He took the gun and made his way to the front, where he tapped on the glass. The window opened and he shoved the gun through. "Pull over!"

"Whoa, whoa! Careful!" Jaune shouted. "No need to get violent!"

"Really?" The man asked sarcastically. "After kicking the hell out three asses, shoving a gun into a fourth is where you draw the line?" The car slowed to a stop.

"Wouldn't you?" Jaune asked, trying to ease the tension.

Without looking at his savior, the man replied. "You sound just like him." His arm twitched. "And you. Try anything funny and you'll wish you killed me back there."

Jaune, not sensing any danger, exited the limo with the large man. The man took the lead and brought Jaune into an alley where he could escape. Before he left, Jaune and the man had a talk.

"Look, kid, I get that your heart's in the right place," the man said, "but a lot of people got hurt today. If you want to help people, be a huntsman, or a cop. Don't make things worse by putting on a mask and being a hero."

"I have to, though." Jaune said. "If something bad happens and I could have stopped it, then it's no different than if I did the bad thing." Jaune's voice was a bit shaky, since this was a much larger man he was speaking to, but it was the honest truth.

"You really are just like Ghira." The man chuckled.

"You know Ghira Bellafauna?"

"Belladonna, and yeah. I used to work for him before..." Sirens wailing in the distance started getting louder. "You better go kid."

"Sure." Jaune jumped onto the wall and was about to climb up. "Oh, uh, one more question, if you don't mind..."

--------------------------------------------------

"Well done, Mr. Arc!" Doctor Oobleck called as he handed Jaune his test. "...is what I would say if your score were just a little higher. You may have passed the exam, but I expect much better from you in the future. Keep studying and you just might get an actual 'Well done'."

"Er, thanks, Doctor Oobleck." Jaune said, sheepishly taking the exam into his hands.

"Guess you were studying without us, huh, Jaune?" Nora remarked.

"Well, something like that." Jaune chuckled. "Ren and I have been really hitting the books this past week."

"Yeah, well, some things are a lot more important than studying, you know." Nora rolled her eyes.

"Nora..." Pyrrha grumbled.

As Jaune ignored Nora, he felt like someone was staring at him. He looked around, his eyes passing over the classroom until he caught someone looking right at him a few desks away. The girl looked away, keeping her eyes glued to her exam paper. He recognized her, but more as a friend of a friend than an actual friend. Blake, wasn't it?

[sonic-fankid-showdown]

Poll 12, Round 1.

About Maria: (by @averiesmiles) Much like Sonic, she has a strong sense of justice and is always eager to bust up Eggman’s badniks any day! Unfortunately her other dad Shadow isn’t very approving of this, especially since she will often take Tails’ son Techie the fox with her on her adventures and potentially put them both in danger. While she may not have super-speed like her fathers, or have super-intelligence like Techie, she is the heart of all the other fankids (in my au) and holds them together like glue.

About Vel: (by @sonicnewschannel) Vel is a professional Extreme Gear Racer! She loved the feeling of wind in her hair as a kid whenever her dad (Sonic) would run around with her, but she wasn't born with super speed, so instead she turned to Extreme Gear. Now, she's a professional, and a staple in the community! Her papa (Antoine) gets concerned easily about her, but he knows she can take care of herself. She doesn't handle surprises well, and likes to plan for any situation she can think of!

[matrixbearer2024]

Also how old are the Stan twins by the time Dipper and Mabel are 12? I’m assuming they’re in college but feel free to correct me.

By the time Dipper and Mabel are 12, the Stan Twins are out of college(technically). If we place the AU in 2024(they were born in 2003) they're already 21, and considering that most undergraduate programs could typically last 2-6 years- their undergrad courses (BSBA[Bachelor of Science in Business Administration] for Stan and BS(CMB)[Bachelor of Science in Biology with specialization in Cell and Molecular Biology] for Ford) are 4 year courses. They haven't been delayed or are late in any educational progress so they've only got a year left of undergrad.

They study in Graviton University Oregon, because I didn't have gravity falls "exist" technically. The town exists and that's where the university is, just more urbanized and without any of the wtf weird creatures that reside in the town from canon.

By the way, the niblings haven't been born yet considering that Shermie isn't even married yet. I plan on Shermie getting married by new year of 2025 and settling down in Piedmont with his girl, and the niblings will be born the year after around the same time the Stan Twins finally finish undergrad.

That's not the last of it though since they both still plan on moving up to masters and Ford wants to get a Phd(he starts with one and then starts collecting them like Pokémon) and it's mostly where they diverge paths as Stan throws himself into more of accounting/enterprenurial and Ford into researcher/biologist.

I don't really think Stan uses his knowledge on business too much at the start however since I do plan on him being scouted for a sports team(Haven't decided between basketball or baseball yet) before he graduates and while building his career as an athlete he finishes his masters(he takes 3 years to do it instead of the usual 2).

Ford had his fun in undergrad, so he fully commits to studying at this point and like in canon is pretty damn advanced compared to the rest of his peers. The curriculum and subject weights have definitely shifted from canon but I still do think it would only more or less take him 7-8 years to get his first doctorate.

By the time the niblings are 12, the Stan twins are 34, Sherm's 42.

Stan's spotlight as an athlete is waning and he's mostly helping run Fidds' family business, he's practically acting CEO in Fidds' place and is very comfortable with the pay he's getting. Stan wasn't really hardcore into sports anyway, he just took the opportunity because it presented itself to him and frankly he's okay with that. He starts drawing comics again as a hobby and with Fidds' help eventually becomes a comic-book artist part time since a businessman is his main gig post sports stardom. Much like some iconic artists and writers in DC and marvel, he ends up joining them when people like the series he puts out and the more "retro" artstyle.

Ford is making innovations left and right in the realm of genetics and biotechnology ever since graduating at 30 and he's got Fidds and Bill to help him with the more techy parts of his work. Ford hasn't stopped studying entirely though and honestly collects honorary PhDs to keep himself well rounded, not to mention he consistently attends seminars or science conferences to keep on top of the newest discoveries or updates to what's going on in the world. It wasn't his dream or intention of becoming one of the "greats" that go down in history but he really might at his pace, it's not something he thinks or cares about though.

You could argue that their life is practically being fast-tracked here but honestly, I think the pace fits them. It's a lot less chaotic compared to canon but considering how driven these two are, I think it's a pretty comfortable pace.

By the way, despite the busy life and all that- Ford tries his best to go to all of Stan's games live even when Shermie or Caryn miss it, despite the fact he doesn't really know anything that's going on just which team his brother's playing and if he's winning. Similarly, when Ford is called to give conferences to explain his findings or research Stan is more than happy to fly out to where he is and sit in just to give his support despite not knowing a damn or understanding whatever the hell his brother is talking about LOL

They're still very close considering that they didn't ever have a fight that tore them apart, they respected each other's wishes and interests and just talked. They always talked. I suppose that's ultimately what makes the big difference.

[lavender-tea-fling]

Author ask tag

OH SHIT HELLO @sorrowsfallallaround AND @sunny374940 ! Thanks for thinking of me!

Let’s focus on something a little different, shall I?

What is the main lesson of your Story?

I think that if “Proven Guilty” had a lesson, it would be that people, while often well-intentioned, are imperfect and have human memories. Things shift and change through the lens of time, and sometimes things that seem obvious in hindsight are not so obvious at first.

What did you use as inspiration for your world building?

I LOVE crime dramas and spy fiction, specifically Columbo, Knives Out, Glass Onion, and Only Murders in the Building. Funnily enough, though, the main world building inspiration was probably good old fashioned Film Noir: the femme fatales, the high profile victims, and the wet cat ass detectives (except, due to the sheer lack of really pathetic female characters, mine is a chain-smoking caffeine addict who is surviving on spite alone).

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? So you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, or help them grow as a person?

I guess my story sort of has two MCs: Detective Inspector Ethel Carter, and Dr. Julian Fox (the murder victim). The primary driving force is Ethel, who is trying (sometimes in vain) to find the truth despite the chaos and conflicting stories. At the heart of it, Julian wanted the same, and got killed for it.

Julian is, in many ways, who I wish I was: clever, unapologetic, and committed to the freedom of information and justice in the face of a corrupt government. I wrote them to be an inspiration, but there is something to be said for the fact that they don’t make it — something I fear deeply the more controlled information becomes.

Ethel is a bastard. I say that with love. She is who I see myself as now: tired, angry, but determined. She is also a cautionary tale: despite your best efforts, people can be dumb. They can lie without meaning to, forget major details and change their story without realizing. In the end, you may solve the murder, but there is a toll.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

It’s a play, actually! Two acts, six scenes. Runs about 90 minutes based on its debut. It has gone through edits since, though.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

It is original content! I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do with it beyond finishing up the little details and sending it to the copyright office. Maybe try to get it published? What do yall think?

When did you start writing?

Oh a LONG time ago. I think my first short story was when I was 5 or 6. It wasn’t good: I had no concept of age, so I assumed 16 was grown up enough to have a baby. Looking back, I wonder what my teacher thought.

My first work on ao3 was a BBC Sherlock fanfic I wrote back in 2019 (it is no longer connected to my account bc I got really embarrassed about it), and the rest is history!

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of Writeblr?

Sure do! @sorrowsfallallaround mentioned it in their post, but write what you want to read. Proven Guilty was born from a bunch of burned out techies talking about what we would want to see in a mystery. Also: imposter syndrome happens. It doesn’t mean it is correct, but it will suck regardless. Someday, you might look back on an old piece and cringe; but, someday, if you’re lucky, you will read an old piece and finally see the brilliance in your own work. You got this.

Tagging @the-font-bandit @themontess @woundedsoul12 and anyone else who wants in!

[digitalcrisisdotcom]

finally!!!

My fuckass son has been born!!! I finally finished my design for him!!!!!!!

If my cursive sucks ass here’s what I wrote;

Techie since Prequelle, returned performer Skeletá

Preformed a bit in Prequelle but got stage fright

besties with Rain

crushing on Phantom 🖤

3rd shortest ghoul (excluding ghoulettes)

(promise I’ll draw him in Skeletá uniform 🙏)

Perpetua; put the slut suit on and get on stage vro

Edit: Did I mention he was born a quint but never actually tried playing because the guitar was too heavy so he gave up because hes a little loser

[wanderingaldecaldo]

👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 for Lynx and 💜 for Grem

Thanks @ratsstick!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 FAMILY WITH MOTHER, FATHER, SON AND DAUGHTER — how many people are in your oc's immediate family? how many people are in your oc's extended family? do they have aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc? who in their family are they closest with? are they close with their birth family, or do they have a found family?

Lynx was born Lynda Lyons to parents Leo and Layla in Chicagoland. Layla died in childbirth three years later; the baby, named Logan for Leo's grandfather, lived for eight hours before following his mother. Heartbroken at the loss of the love of his life and his child, Leo became an alcoholic, leaving Lynx to be raised by Layla's corpo parents. Charles and Ellie Beck, a well-known Militech power couple from Chicago, adored their only child but never really liked Leo. They thought Layla deserved better than the techie who kept the trains running, and secretly thought he was after Layla's inheritance. They loved their grandchild and did as well as they could for a few years, but they did not understand when a five-year-old Lynx stopped answering to their birth name and refused to wear dresses, nor did they care to. They wanted to use Lynx as a prop in their own lives, to show how kind and generous they were to take in their "granddaughter" who was more or less an orphan, and to cultivate "her" for the corpo life that Layla had rejected. Around the same time, news of Layla's death finally reached Leo's family. Leo's father had remained in Chicagoland when his siblings (an older brother, and younger twin sisters) left with their families to join an Aldecaldo clan. Leo's twin aunts and uncle wanted him to join their family, and his cousin Legend was sent to retrieve him or, at minimum, the child. Charles and Ellie had (legal) contingencies in place should Leo ever try to gain custody of Lynx, but they didn't count on Lynx being a willing participant in their own escape, just as they couldn't understand how Lynx's mother had refused the same life. Lynx was thrilled to be back with Leo, just as Leo was thrilled to be with them. On the drive to meet up with their new Aldecaldo family, Leo and Legend helped Lynx pick out their new name. In a solemn ceremony, the adults built a pyre and Lynx burned the dress they had been wearing when they left the Becks.

Phew.. that's a lot. Lynx had no real history prior to this ask, so thanks!

💜 PURPLE HEART — what is your oc's ancestry/genetic background?

Grem only knows his parents' genetics from testing done when his mother, a teenage streetkid, abandoned him at birth at the Night City hospital; he was given the bill for the procedure, as well as his birth. (He never paid, of course, and he avoided any careers that would allow the hospital to garnish his wages. Lucky for him he loves stealing rides!) His mother's ancestry is white (standard European mutt), Mexican, and Filipino; his father white (Irish, German), Mexican, and American Indian.

[clownery-and-fuckery]

Take it... I was feeling sappy :")

"Do you believe in soulmates?"

Three tired cadets groaned at the question asked into the dark room. They should be sleeping, not listening to silly questions whispered into their safe space.

"Go to sleep." Is the immediate response from the second youngest, who's scowl is thankfully hidden. The first voice pipes up again with a whine.

"M'not tired yet! Please, just answer this one question and I'll sleep!"

"You said that five questions ago, Wrecker."

The oldest sighed. "Answer the question, guys. Wrecker promises to sleep after, don't you?"

"I do!" Wrecker insisted with a muffled laugh that decidedly informs them of his fib. "Promise! Please?"

The second youngest groaned again. "Fine." He grumbled, turning over to face the room. "I don't. Goodnight."

"D'aw, why not?" Wrecker probed. "Everyone's gotta have someone out there!"

"I'm with Wrecker," Hunter, the oldest, admitted into the quiet before Crosshair could snap. "It's a kinda nice thought. To be destined to have someone to call yours."

"It's stupid." Crosshair grumbled. A fourth voice spoke up, soft with sleep as he was pulled from slumber.

"I am in agreement with Crosshair," The youngest slurred, rubbing his eyes. "That would imply there is an even and definite number of people in the galaxy, which there is not."

"You don't have to be born at the same time!" Wrecker protested. "Maybe they're older. Or younger!"

"That does not erase the fact that it is illogical." Tech huffs. "We are not pairs meant to be joined. We are individuals with our own personal definition. To tether us to another would..." He trailed off for a moment. "It is not logical."

Hunter sighed, and tapped Wrecker's bunk. "There's your answer, big guy. Now sleep, all of you. We're up early."

"We're always up early, Hunter." Crosshair grouched. "We know."

The four boys settled for sleep, and just as he felt himself fall under, Hunter heard the barely audible whisper from Wrecker to Tech.

"Wrecker?"

"Hmm?"

"...despite the lack of any tangible means of your theory, and while I do not believe it for a second. I–" A breath of hesitation. "I enjoy the thought of it."

Hunter fell asleep with a smile.

–––

Years later, when they were older, tired but happier than they had ever been. They were on the Marauder, tired but unable to sleep.

Wrecker brightened, after so long of not seeing his siblings, when he could finally turn to face the ship. Face the bunks that had been empty for so long.

He itched to speak. To reconnect, to catch up with his siblings he had missed so fiercely, yet he hesitated. They must be tired, they must be utterly shattered from the last few days, it would be selfish of him to—

"Wrecker?"

—to see out his siblings who were clearly still awake? The brawler jumped. "What's up, Techie?" Wrecker's response was eager, shifting closer to catch the shadow of his youngest brother as he moved slowly.

There was a pause, a pained breath as Tech readjused on his bunk. Wrecker heard Hunter and Crosshair shifting up in unison to help him. "Do you remember when we were small?" Tech started softly, voice tight with the agony of effort.

Wrecker hummed, listening intently for any more signs of discomfort. "When you had asked us about our stance on the existence of soulmates?"

There was a long pause. "Sure I do," Wrecker said, half truthful. "Why?"

"I was giving it some thought." Tech admitted with a sense of sheepishness. "While I was undergoing... extraneous experimentation."

Wrecker couldn't see it, but he could feel the anger that coursed through the room at the mention. "And I've found–" Tech paused again, but this time, Wrecker could pinpoint a small amount of nervousness in Tech's confession.

"–I've found I think I do believe."

Wrecker huffed a laugh. "S'been a long time since I've thought about that," He admitted. "I kinda stopped believing it."

"I do not believe it in a romantic sense." Tech continued. "Not- entirely."

Wrecker thought of Phee, of the private moment he was not meant to see between the two, and kept his mouth shut. "Mhmm." He said slowly.

"Although- the theory behind a 'soulmate' is an unbreakable connection- one that allows the individuals to meet and find each other regardless of the situation."

Wrecker heard Hunter hum in agreement, and Crosshair's quiet, "Get on with it, what's the point?" As he listened intently.

Tech's voice was quiet, but the affection was undeniable. "I believe that, in a sense, that is how I would describe us. The six of us, against all odds, managed to find each other again."

The room went silent, as if Tech had stolen the air from the room.

"If there was ever a chance of other universes," Tech waved a hand. "If such a concept exists, I would very much hope we are together in all of them."

Wrecker swore he heard a sniff. "We-" He hesitated, tears filling his own eyes. "–I'd say we are, Techie. Like any force could drive us apart."

Tech smiled at him through the dark. "I'm glad to know that." He said softly. "It is a nice theory.. one I hope holds weight."

Wrecker slipped off the bunk, joining his brother before gently, oh so softly, hugged him. Leaned back against the wall just like they used to, where the scariest thing to exist was the thunderstorms on Kamino.

There was no more Kamino, there was no more simple fears that were easily chased away.

They were still there, though. That was enough.

In his arms, Wrecker held a piece of his whole galaxy to his chest, sniffling as the rest of his purpose floated into orbit, easing into the single bunk.

Echo had grumbled a complaint of space as he finally was risen to join them. Omega never minded their squished cuddle piles, opting to hold Crosshair around the chest as she slept.

Hunter, ever the eldest, was near enough to all of them, just within reach. Wrecker smiled softly as he felt Tech drifting back off in his arms.

Yes, maybe soulmates did exist. In any form but the traditional, sure, but when had they ever been conventional?

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Penelope + Poetry

All photo credits at the end

Criminal Minds Characters + Virtues - Penelope and Charity

If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that—warm things, kind things, sweet things—help and comfort and laughter—and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all" - Frances Burnett

Penelope is someone who understands charity to its core. She gives actual things like gifts or her tech skills, but more importantly, she gives things that can't be seen but felt: love, happiness, hope, kindness, and friendship. With work as difficult as the team has to deal with, she is invaluable with all the skills she has. Her heart is worth more than any techie skills she has.

Other Virtue Mood Boards: Aaron + Poetry, Rossi + Poetry, Emily + Poetry, Spencer + Poetry, Derek + Poetry, JJ + Poetry

Text Break Banner @cafekitsune

Want to be added to my tag list? Please check out this post (linked) 

Want to send in a request? Please check out this post, CM Request Post (linked)

Photo Credits

Top: Left (@life-spire) Center (@honeys-marmalade) Right (@toyastales)

Middle: Left (@aesthetic-otd) Center (@pennyspearl) Right (@darthagustd)

Bottom: Left (@peacefulandcozy) Center (@happyheidi) Right (@revelisms)